Antisubmarine device



C. W. BREWSTER.

ANTISUBMARINE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-16.19l8- 1,331,800. Patented Feb. 24,1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET I- ATT NE! C. W. BREWSTER.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

5 SHEETS$HEET 2- BY J/Q rllll l|| |||ll ll 2 gym/70R j A NORA/H ANTISUBMARINE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-16.1918.

C. W. BREWSTER.

ANTISUBMARINE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-16.1918.

1,331,800 Patented Feb; 24,1920;

M 67 s SHEETS-SHEET s. 66

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ANTISUBMARINE DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I918- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

C. W: BREWSTER. ANTISUBMARINE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I918.

1,331,800. Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

25 ummin 1 "En; STATES i xrinnrorrion. i

CHARLES W. BREWSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BREWSTER- GOLDSMITH CORPORATION, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

'ANTISUBMARINE nnvioi'i.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pa,tgnted .Feb, 24:, 1920.

Application filed February 16, 19-18. Serial No. 217,490.

To all whom it'mgzfi con cem:

Be it known that lfGnanncs W. BREW;- STER, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Antlsubmarine Devices, of

whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention. is to indicate the presence and movements of submarines, so that they may be readily destroyed'by patrol vessels. This is accomplished by causing the submarine to attach to itself a- I marker, whichit tows along upon the surface of the water. The apparatus hereinafter described comprises a buoy, a magnetic attacher, and means for anchoring the same under water together with means for casting off the anchor when the attacher affixes itself to a submarine, and means for also paying out the upward extending cable, so that the buoy may thenride upon the' surface. A suitable number of these devices are placed in localities likely.

to be visitedby submarines, and each buoy may have a number of attachers connected therewith. The attachers are preferably provided with electro-magnets, normallyde= energized, and adapted to be supplied with current from a source in the buoy, the closing of thecircuit and the casting off of theparts below the particular attacher which may be affected being brought about by suitable means, operatedthrough contact withthe submarine. Each attacher' is desirably provided with a circular pathway or fender, extending in both directions from its active face, so that, if a submarine-brushes against the fender at any side, the attacher will be rolled around until its magnetic pole and actuating trigger are brought against the side of the v'essel. These and various other features of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceed's.

In the drawings:

F'gure 1 is a view showing a complete de-- vice in use;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the lower attacher shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the buoy;

Fig- 4 is 'a vertical section through the same;

Fig. 2

Fig. 5 isa plan view of the attacher of- Fig.6 is. a section through the same'taken ina vertical plane; M I

Fig. 7 is a view similar jto Fig. 6 on a larger scale, showing a portion of the upper.

attacher. of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8-is a wiring diagram;-and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section- -on the line 9-9 of 4:.

Fig. 1 shows a buoy 2 and two attachers 3 and 3* anchoredbelow the water level i by a suitable anchor 5. A cable section 6 connects the buoy with the upper attacher 3 another section 7 extends from this attacher to the lower attacher 3, and still another upper portion. In a lower compartment 10 a reel 11 is mounted to turn upon a horizontal axis. This reel holds a large reserve supply of the cable 6, which passes downward through a bottom exit 12. This exit is ren-' dered ti'ght by a flexible impervious rin 13, preferably of rubber and'of substantlally U- shaped crossse'ction, the margins of which are clasped upon the exit and uponthe cable, respectively, by constricting bands 14. The reel 11 is'fixed upon an-axle 15,

which turns in bearings 16 and 16 in the buoy, and the said axle may contain an insulating core 17, through which passes an axial electric conductor 18. Oneend of this conductor is connected by a lead 19 with an electrical conductor 20, which extends throughout the length of the cable section 6, which is wound upon thev reel and extends downward to theattacher 3. The cable section 7, it may be here noted, contains a similar conductor 20. These cables, it will be understood, are to be constructed of sufficient strength to withstand the strains which may be put upon them, and they are composed, in part or in whole, of insulating and waterproof material surrounding. their conductors. The opposite end of the axial conductor 18 is electrically connected by a suitable rotary coupling 21 with a lead 22 extending from one pole of the battery 9. -The other pole of the battery is connected, as indicated at 23, with the shell of the buoy and thus grounded.

The lower attacher 3 has a suitable watertight casing 24 containing an electromag net, of which 25-is the core and 26 the coil, the polar face 27 of the core being exposed at one side of the attacher. The lower end of the cable section 7 is secured to the casing 24 at 28, and its conductor 20 is electrically connected with one terminal of the coil 26. The other terminal of the coil is connected with a contact 29, which is located in a normally watertight chamber 30, which is cut off from the magnet chamber by a wall 31.

Means are provided whereby contact with the submarine com letes the circuit through the magnet coil, t ereby energizing the magnet, and also releasing the downward extending cable section 8. 7 Such 'means may be widely varied. In the illustrated construction a plunger or trigger member 32 is mounted slidably in the front wall of the inclosure 30, the joint around it being rendered tight by a suitable stufiingbox 33. In this construction the inner portion of the plunger constitutes one of the electrical contacts for. closing the normallyopen break in the magnet circuit, for which purpose it is so arranged as to have wiping engagement with the curved extremity of the spring contact 29 when the plunger is pushed in. In this embodiment, also, the inner portion of the contact plunger forms part of a separable connection or coupling between the attacher 3 and the downward extending cable section 8. Thus, an extension 34 of the plunger, which is made narrower than the electrical contact portion in order that it may be spaced from the contact 29, is formed with a slot 35, which receives a neck 36 on the inner end of a coupling member slide 37, which is mechanically connected withthe upper end of the cable section 8. Upon the end of the neck 36 is a head 38, which normally holds the coupling slide 37 against movement outward through the bottom wall of the compartment 30. When, however, the plunger 32 is moved inward the head 38 is free to pass through the slot 35 and the parts below, attached to the anchor, will thus be disconnected. The opening in which the slide 37 is mounted is normally rendered tight by a flexible boot 39, in general respects similar to the member 13,, at the cable exit from the buoy. When the said slide is pulled out ofthe opening, water is free to enter the compartment 30, and, being a good conduc-' tor, will complete the circuit through the coil of the magnet even should the gap not Secured at its ends to bracket lugs 40, at

opposite -sides of the olar face 27, are the ends of a circular fgnder 41, which encircles the remaining sides of the attacherso that the polar face is in efiect located at one portion of the circular path. The said fender may be provided with spurs 42, of any suitable number and arrangement. The contactpro'jection 32, it will be noted, is located ad acent the said polar face and preferably centrally below it. Extending centrally above the said face is a bracket 43, which is stayed from the'cable 6 by a chain 44 and terminates in a spur 45. The point of this spur projects slightly forward from the plane of the face 27 and is located at a T,

sufficient distance laterally therefrom effectively to brace the magnet against being pulled along a smooth surface, to which it may adhere.

The upper attacher 3 or as many at tachers as may be located above the lowermost attacher 3, is preferably of the same construction as that just described, except that the circuit arrangements are slightl different. Thus, in Fig; 7 the circuit whicli enters from the cable section 6 is branched. One branch passes through the coil of the magnet, as described in connection with the attacher 3 to a contact 29, which is adapted to be engaged by a trigger 32 The other branch includesa conductor 46 in shunt with the magnet coil and leading to a spring contact terminal 47 mounted upon the inner side of the wall 31. A plunger 48 of insulating material is mounted .with a tight sliding fit in an opening in this wall and contains a conducting pin 49, one end of which is normally in electrical connection with the contact 47 while its opposite end is in electrical connection with a conducting cap 70 on the end of the coupling member 37, which is electrically and mechanically connected to the upper end of the cable section 7. The conductor 20 and the terminal 70 are insulated from the body of the coupling member 37*, as indicated at 71. The coupling member 37 is normally held by the trigger member 32 in the 'manner described in connection with the attacher 3, and in this condition it holds the plunger 48 and its conducting pin 49 in the inward position, in which position the spring contact 47 is deflected sufliciently to insure electrical contacts at both ends of the pin.

wall 31 by aspring 50, which thus breaks the contact between the pin 49 and the contact 47-. Aconical shoulder 51 may be provided upon the inner or upper end of the plunger48to coiiperate .with a corresponding seat at the inner side of the opening-in the wall 31, so that when the plunger is moved outward by the spring the tight joint against passage of water from the compartment t0 the main compartment is insured.

Means are provided whereby the reserve of the cable section 6 within the buoy 2 is normally locked, so that the buoy isheld beneath the water, and whereby it is automatically released in order to permit the buoy to rise and float at a substantial distance from one or other of the attachers when the latter has been acted upon by a submarine. Numerous embodiments of such .means may be devised, but I prefer to provide a detent which coiipefates with the reel.

11 and which may be disengaged therefrom by the movement of a rudder when thebuoy is towed. As illustrative of such means I have shown a vertical rock-shaft 52 journaled in a suitably packed bearing in the lower part of the buoyand bearing at its upper end a detent arm 53 which is normally engaged with a'notch 54 in one of the flanges of the reel. To the lower end of the rock-shaft is secured a rudder 55. In the normal condition the rudder is held obliquely, as shown in Fig. 9, by the pressure of the shoulder at one end of the notch The substantial amount of cable containeduponthe reel enables the marker to remain at the top throughout the corresponding ,range of depth of the submarine.

, Means are also preferably provided for automatically illuminating the buoy. The preferred embodiment-of such means is illustrated, but-it will be understood that numerous other forms may be substituted.

In the saidembodiment the buoy is provided with a central, vertical, tubular chamber 57 containing a slow-burning composr tion 58, capable of producing a flare at night and a smudge in the daytime. Such marine lights are known for other purposes, and therefore this One does not require particular description. The composition is of a character to be ignited chemically by liquid contained in the glass balls 59 placed upon the top of the composition and adapted to be broken by the descent of a crush er 60.

chamber is covered by a dome 66 having an outlet orifice, which is normally tightly closed by a plug 67. This plug is driven out by the gases generated in the light after the liquid contained in the balls 59 has acted upon the composition 58. It will be understood that the proportions should be suchthatthe igniting device does not act until the buoyhas reached the surface.

The operation will now be briefly described. Let it be assumed that a submarine comes into contact with the lower attacher 3. The sliding of the side of the vessel against any portion ofthe fender 41 will cause the device as a whole to roll upon the submarine until the polar face 27 and the contact 32 are brought against the vessels side. This forces the plunger 32 inward, which releases the coupling member with it, the attacher being braced against,

slipping by the claw 45 in the manner already described, and the buoy 2 is drawn through the water, the anchor and parts below the attacher in question being left behind. As heretofore described the movement of the float turns the rudder or vane 55 so as to release the reel 11, with the result that'the cable 6 may be paid out as the floatrises to and travels upon the surface of the water. The unwinding of the. cable automatically ignites the marine light in the buoy in the manner described. T he undersea boat is thus caused to tow a visual signal, which keeps the surface of the water v irrespective of the depth at which the boat may be proceeding.

If it is a lower attacher which is thus brought into action, the attacher or attachers above it are, of course, carried along.

the cable section 7, with the result that they attacher 3 is left connected to the anchor while the attacher 3 and the buoy are carried away by the boat. Normally, as already described, an electrical path is completed through the attacher 3*, around its coil 26*, tothe cable sectionl7, in order to lead current to the attacher or attachers below. WVhen, however, the trigger 32 of the said attacher 3 is actuated, thus permitting the said attacher and the cable section 7 to separate, the branch around the magnet coil is broken at the circuit-breaking contacts 47, 51 at a region inaccessible to water, so that the magnet cannot be short-circuited. At the same time the gap in the branch through the magnet coil is completed in the manner described in connection with the attacher 3.

While the invention has been described connecting the attacher from the anchorage. I

2. A submarine detector comprising the combination of a marker, a magnetic at-v tacher including a magnet, a cable connecting the marker and attacher, means for anchoring the marker and attacher below the surface, means for automatically disconnecting the attacher from the. anchorage,

and means. for automatically paying out said cable.-

-3. A submarine detector comprising a buoy,.a magnetic attacher includinga mag- ,net connected, below the buoy, and means whereby the attacher is energized by contact.

4. A submarine detector comprising an anchored buoy, a magnetic attacher includ ing a magnet connected between the buoy and the anchorage, and means whereby the attacher is energized and freed from the anby contact.

chorage submarme detector comprismg a --buoy, an anchor, a sectional cable, a plurality of magnetic attachers each including a magnet connected between the sections of thecable, and means whereby contact at any one of said attachers energizes the same'and frees it from the parts below.

6. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, a source of electrical energy therein, an anchor, an intermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable means connecting the buoy, attacher and anchor, an electrical circuit including the source of ener att acher and a normally open gap at the aton the buoy, an energizing coil .in the tacher, and means on the attacher actuated by contact for closing said gap and freeing the attacher from the anchor.

7. A submarine detector comprising a buoy,

an anchor, an intermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable sections connecting the attacher with the buoy and with the anchor, a separable connection between the attacher and the lower cable section, and means whereby contact energizes the attacher and releases said separable connection.

8. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, an anchor, an intermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable sections between the attacher and the buoy on the one hand and the anchor, on the other hand,

a coupling connecting the lower cable section with the attacher, and contact means for opening said coupling.

9. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, an anchor, an intermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable sections connecting the attacher with the buoy and with the anchor, a slide on the upper end of the lower cable section entering' the wall of the attacher, means for preventing entrance of water around said slide, and trigger-controlled means on the attacher normally holding and adapted to release said slide.

buoy, a source of electrical energy therein, an anchor, anintermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable means connecting the buoy, attachergand anchor, an

electrical circuit including the source of en ergy on the buoy, an energizing coil in the attacher and normally-open contacts at the 'attacher, a separable connection between the attacher and the section of cable extending downward therefrom, and'a contact plunger on the attacher adapted to close said contacts on the one hand and to opensaid 'sep arable connection on the other.

11. A submarine detector. comprising. a

10. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, means including a cable having a normally locked cable supply for anchoring the i buoy below the surface, a magnetic attacher including a magnet connected with the buoy,

and means for releasing the cable supply.

12. A submarine detector comprlslng a "buoy, means, includin a'ca'ble, a reel in the buoy and-Ya lock for t e reel, for anchoring the buoy below the surface, a magnetic attacher including a magnet connected with the buoy, and means for unlocking the reel. 13.. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, means including a cable having a nor- ,mally locked cable supply for anchoring the buoy below the surface, a magnetic attacher connected withthe buoy, a rudder on the buoy, and means whereby said rudder will release the cable supply.

14:. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, means including a cable, a reel in the buoy and detent for the reelpfor fanchoring the buoy below the surface, a magnetic attacher including a magnet connected with the buoy, and a rudder on the buoy connect-a netlc attacher; includingla magnet and cable ed with said detent.

15. A submarine detector compr sing a buoy, a reel therein, a magnetic attacher 1n-' cluding a magnet below the buoy,;an electrical conductor cableon the. reel extending" to the magnetic attacher, a source of electrical energy in the buoy,and an electrical connection entering axially of the 'reelbetween said source andthe cable.

16. A submarine detector comprismg a buoy, illuminating means, therein, a magnetic attacher including a magnet, a cable connecting the buoy and attacher and having a reserve in the buoy, and means whereby paying out of the cable from the buoy causes said illuminating means to' light. v I

17 A submarine detector-comprising the combination of a buoy, ananchor, an intermediate magnetic attacher including a magnet, cable connections between the. buoy, attacher and anchor, means for automatically freeing the attacher from its anchor, a reel in the buoy whereo'n part of the upper cable section is wound, illuminating means carried by the buoy, and means including a member bearing upon the supply of cable on the reel for controlling said illuminating combination ofa buoy containing a stoppered combustible chamber, a magnetic attacher including amagnet, an anchor, cable connections between the buoy, attacher .and anchor, means for automatically disconnecting the attacher. from the anchorage, meansfor automatically causing the paying out'of the cable connection between the attacher and buoy, and means controlled by the paying out of said cable for igniting the'con V tents of said combustible chamber.

20. A submarine detector comprising the combination of a buoy, a battery therein, a reel also in the buoy, a magnetic attacher including a magnet, an electrical cable ex tending from said reel downward to the magnetic attacher, means for preventing entrance of water to the buoy through the cable exit, and means for releasably-anchoring the buoy and attacher.

21. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, a magnetic attacher including a magnet connected therewith, "a circuit for ener- I gizing said attacher containing a normally openinclosed gap, and means for automatically admitting water to close the gap.

22A submarine detector comprising a buoy and an anchor, combined with a magbuoy and an anchor, combined with a magnetic attacheran d cable connections, said attacher having amagnetic face and a contact device adjacent thereto, and a circular rolling path extending in both directions there from.

24:. A submarine detector' comprising a buoy, an anchor, a magnetic attacher in-.

cluding a ma et, a cable connecting the attacher with t e buoy, and a detachable condistance from its active face in the direction of the buoy to brace the attacher against the surface of a submarine. 4

25. A submarine detector comprising a buoy, a source of electrical energy therein, an anchor, an upper and a; lower magnetic attacher between the buoy and anchor, said attachers including energizing coils, cable sections connecting the buoy, attachers and anchor, separable couplings between the attachers and'their downward extending cable connections, circuit connections between said source and the energizing coils of the attachers including conductors passing through the cable sections, the coil of the upper attacher being branched from the circuit passing to the lower'attacher, said branch containing a normally open gap and the circuit of the coil of the lower attacher also having a normally open gap, contact operated means on. each attacher for closing the gap of the corresponding coil and for castlng off its downward extending cable connection, means normally preventing entrance of wa-' ter to the attachers at the separable connections, and means, including an inclosed circuit-breaker in the upper attacher, f0r au tomatically opening the downward-extending circuit at a place inaccessible to Water when the corresponding cable section is cast off. I

26. In a submarine detector, the combination of a buoy, a magnetic attacher comprising a tight casing, an electro-magnet'therein having its polar face exposed, a source of electrical energy in the buoy, a cable section betweenthe buoy and attacher, another cable I section extending downward from the buoy,

a coupling between the attacher and the downward extending cable section, an electrical circuit extending from the buoy through the upper cable section to the attacher, a branch passing from said circuit to the coil of the magnet and including a normally open gap, another branch passing to said coupling and thence downward in the lower cable section and including a normally closed circuit-breaker having its electrical contacts in a closed chamber in the attacher, means whereby said circuit-breaker is controlled by the coupling, and means operated by a trigger on the attacher for closing said normally open gap and disconnecting said coupling.

27. An anti-submarine device comprising the combination of an anchor, an electro magnetic attacher including an electro-magnet, a buoyant member, cable connections between the anchor, attacher and buoyant member, means normally in open circuit for supplying the electro-magnetic attacher with current, and means .whereby the attacher is energized on contact.

28. An anti-submarine device comprising the combination of an anchor, an electromagnetic attacher including an electro-magnet, a buoyant member, cable connections between the anchor, attacher and buoyant member, means normally in open circuit for supplying the electro-magnetic attacher with current, means whereby the attacher is energized on-contact, and means for simultaneously casting off from the anchor..

29. An anti-submarine devicev comprising the combination of an anchor, an electromagnetic attacher including an electro-magnet, a buoyant member, caJb-le connections between the anchor, attacher and buoyant member, means normally in open circuit for supplying the electro-magnetic attacher with current, a contact device on the attacher controlling said circuit, and means whereby actuation of said contact device casts oil the cable leading to the anchor.

In an anti-submarine device, a magnetic attacher including a magnet, an active face and a circular fender extending in both directions from said active face whereb rine until said face is brought into action.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

* CHARLES W. BREWSTER. Witnesses: I

ELSIE GREENBERGER, LOUELLA F. LITTLE.

the attacher will roll upon the side of a su ma 

